Deformation recording apparatus



ug- 31, 1937- R. L. TEMPLIN ET AL 2,091,535

I DEFORMATION RECORDINGAPPARATUS 2 Shets-Sheot 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1934 INVENTOR ardIL 7 5 and non-metallic, such as Patented Aug. 31, I937 DEFORMATION RECORDING APPARATUS Richard L. Templin,

New Kensington, and Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application February 16,1934 Serial No. 111,617

Donald I. Bohn,

8 Claims. This invention relates to apparatus for making and recording physical tests. It relates especially to apparatus for measuring the deformation of specimensof structural materials, both metallic rods, sheets, wires,and the like, and for making stress-strain records of tests of such materials. 4

Someof the moreniodern methods of determining the stress-strain 'or load-deformation relationship of metals or other structural materials can be employed to much better advantage with deformation-measuring apparatus which is faster and more accurate than the apparatus which has generally been available at reasonable cost for this purpose in the past. This is particularly true in the testing of materials which do not have yield points, in the meaning of that term as applied to hot rolled mild steel. Q It is generally conceded that the ideal'instru- 20 ment for this p pose should have a magnification ratio of at least 250, and preferably of 500 ,to 1000 or more, and in accuracy-and sensitivity it should be at least equal to the better extensometers now available. It should be able to repeat within close limits, and to record deformation with decrease as well as with increase in load. The instrument should be capable of rapid attachment to and detachment from test specimens which range in size from small wires and thin 30 sheets to the larger structural test specimens now frequently used, and in the case of the smaller specimens, at least, the part of the instrument which is attached to and supported by the specimen should be .as light as possible. Since the 5 apparatus is to be used in routine commercial tests it must be rugged and easy to manipulate, and so designed as to permit its proper functioning in rapidly performed tests. The personal equation of the operation should be reduced to minio mum. The apparatus should be adapted to use with existing testing machines, and its cost should be reasonable.

An object of our present invention is to provide an improved recording instrument and system 5 having the desirable characteristics enumerated hereinabove as applied to recording both increases and decreases of strain.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved recording apparatus and system Dwhich is simple in construction and operation and is adapted for high strain magnification with accuracy, sensitivity and convenience .when used under various testingconditions. These results are specifically accomplished by an improved comibination including a continuously operating source of power adapted to drive the recording apparatus and also including a selsyn transmitter and receiver, commonly referred to as selsyn motors, interconnecting the recorder apparatus and a control unit mounted on the specimen.

Our invention has for further objects such other operative advantages and results as are found to obtain in the apparatus within the scope of the claims appended hereto, it being understood that certain of the broad subject matter of this application constitutes the sole invention of R. L. Templin, one of the joint inventors hereof, as set .forth in said Templin's sole application Serial No.

627,454, filed August 4, 1932.

Most commercialtesting machines are, or can easily be provided with a recording drum, or with a dial or other equivalent, and a pencil or stylus which, while in contact with the drum, is moved parallel to the axis of the drum through a distance proportional to the load applied to the specimen,

or in other words, proportional to the stress thereon. If, then, some means is provided for rotating the drum through an are which is proportional to the deformation or strain of a specified lengthof the test specimen,the basis for a recording system is at hand. This fact has been recognized in the past, but in developing an operative instrument from this basis diflicuities have always been encountered. As a result, instruments previously developed have had a magnification ratio which is too low, or have been too slow, or too inaccurate, or too heavy, or too expensive to be generally satisfactory for the wide variety of conditions encountered.

One of the principal difliculties encountered in the past has been that the power required to rotate the recording drum and control its move-1 ment with sensitivity and accuracy is large in comparison with the forces available in any unit or element of the recording systemwhich can be attached to the test specimen without interfering with the accuracy of the test. This attached element should m very light in.weight, as previously .indicated. It is therefore necessary to provide an auxiliary source of power for operating the drum, and this source must be controlled accurately and without time lag by the deformation occurring in the test specimen. As one feature of our present invention we have provided an improved apparatus for rotating 2. recording drum or the like proportionately to the strain of the test specimen, and this improvement overcomes many ofthe. difficulties previously encountered in attempting to construct apparatus suitable for use in rapid and accurate tests. In our improved y tion of the unit deformation, and in the case of a gage length of 2 inches, this factor is 2. Experience has shown that .a single mechanical. l5 lever 'with a multiplication ratio up to about 5:1 is generally more satisfactory and dependable than lever systems withhigher ratios for use in strain-following and measuring devices Accordingly we prefer to employ a bellcrankv lever giving an amplification of 5 as the strain-following element in our system. "Ihis makes the total amplification thus far obtained 10:1,"if a specimen of 2" gage length is employed. With speci- I mens of greater gage length, the total amplifica-/ tion is of course greater.

At about this point in the amplifying system we have found it convenient to change from .a nom inal linear motion to rotation, which is the motion of the recording drum. We have found that this 0 may be'readily accomplished by means of a fine threaded lead screw passing through a threaded bushing in the control element or.clip in which the strain-following bell-crank lever is mounted. Thisscrew and the lever constitute parts of anv electric .circuit arranged to control the force which operates the recording drum.

If the lead screw has threads. to the inch, one revolution of the screw results in a linear motion of 0.02", and if used with the'10z1 amplification previously obtained, one revolution of the lead screw is equivalent to a limit deformation of 0.002". For a total magnification ratio of, 500:1,- the periphery of the recording drum or the chart attached thereto must rotate 1" for each revolution of the lead screw; for a totalratio of 1000: 1 the drum must rotate 2' for each revolution of the screw, etc. A drum and chart having a-circumference of 10'. mustthen turn through 5 of a revolution to give a total amplification of 500:1, 'or through of a revolution to give .a total amplification of '1000:1 under these conditions. For drums with larger circumferences-a smaller .fraction of a complete revolution would be required to give thesame amplification, or greater amplification would be obtained with 'the same ,amountofrotation.

The desired'rotation of the recording drum is readily-provided for by a suitable arrangement of gears and moti'vemeans. 'For example, a large driven gear may be mounted on the shaft of the.

recording drum, preferably with-a frictiomgripping ors'pring-loaded hub, so that the gear may be' turned independently of drum; One or more smaller driving gears, having the desired ratio or ratios'to the large driven gear, are mounted on another shaft in position to mesh with the driven gear, and the rotation of these smaller gears is accurately synchronized with the rotation of the lead screw. In the present invention-this synchronization is preferably accomplished bythe useof two self-synchroniz-' ing.-motors, such;as those which are commonly referred to as selsyns, which term will be employed hereinbelowL One selsyn serves as a generator or transmitter and is connected to the 'tion of the small transmitter, which are operatively connected-to suitable type;

'the shaft and the shaft on which the small driving gears are mounted, while the other selsyn serves asa motor or receiver and is connected to the lead screw in the control element by means of a suitable coupling member. When current is applied the selsyns are automatically synchronized and rotadriving gears and the selsyn a common shaft, is exactly reproduced selsyn receiver and by the lead screw if it is directly connected with the receiver.

The shaft to which the selsyn generator and the driving gears for the recording drum are attached is preferably driven by a small aux. iliary motor so arranged that its operation is controlled by the circuit including the lead screw and the strain-followingelement. The operation and effect of the auxiliary motor and the control circuit will be described in more detail hereinbelow. One of the numerous advantages of this system isthat the control element attached to the specimen has no mechanical connection with Y by the the recording instrument,- and may therefore be very light in weight. it has been found, for example, that a control element orclip for use with 2 test specimens of -2" gage lengthneedweigh' only about two ounces, and that an element of this weight still gives-satisfactory results after, several months. i almost continuous use.

In order that he nature and advantages of our invention may be more readily understood, it; will now be described with reference to the ac-' companying drawings in which:

Fig. 1, is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the general arrangement of the apparatus and electrical connections;

Fig. 2 isaan enlarged plan view of the recording unit and auxiliary apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an el'evationalview of a testing machine with atest, specimen mounted therein and a control element attached to the specimen;

, Fig. 4 is-a enlarged vertical sectional view showing/a pre erred form of control element mounted on the test specimen and Fig. 5' is'a horizontal sectional v1ew taken along- In performing and recording a tensile test, for example, with our improved apparatus," a test, specimen 2 which maybe of round, rectangular or other suitable cross section, is gripped between the' jaws of shackles 4, of -a testing machine-6, shown in Fig. 3. .The testing machine may beof any;;type adapted toapply tensile stress to the specimen, and the shackles 4 may also be of a although we prefer to .empl s kles of the type described in the patent to- L. 'Iemplin, No.1,872,04 7, The test specimen rnay be of any desired gage length, but it will be assumed'tobe of 2". gage length, which is com-' monlyused, especially -in tests of the standard /2" diameter or /2" width specimens of metals, and in tests of smaller rods and specimens.

When the specimen is clamped firmly in the, shackles of the testing machine, a control element or clip 8 bearing'astrain-following element;

attached thereto. If straight, carefully-prepared specimens. are gripped in shackles of the preferred type with self-aligning grips, it is only,

necessary to measure the strain on one side or element of the specimen. This lmownfact-is applied in the present-system, in whichonly one strain-following element I0 is employediin the .control element 8. This strain-following element -preferablytakes the form of a bell-crank-lev'er with a-multiplication factor of about 5, as previously stated, although levers with other multiplication factors may obviously be used. The lever I8 is provided at one end with a knife edge or point II, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, and this point contacts the test specimen 2 and moves in accordance with the strain thereof. At the other end the lever is provided with a contact button |2 adapted to contact with a lead screw. The lever is mounted on a pivot |4 between the side walls of one section of the control element 8, and is preferably in electric conducting relationship with the walls of the clip, although it may be insulated therefrom.

The clip or control element 8 consists of two sections l8 and I! which are relatively movable, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5, as by moving a portion |8 of the side wall of section |6 longitudinally through a slot or channel l9 provided in the wall of the other section II. The two sections are normally drawn together and held there resiliently by the expansion of a spring 28 mounted between handles or grips 2|, 2|, each of which is attached to one section of the control element, and the sections may be separated by pressing these grips together and thereby compressing the spring 28.

At or near the bottom of' each section is a knife edge 23, which is preferably V-shaped or curved and tapers from both ends toward the center so that specimens of varying shape can be gripped securely and centered automatically in the clip. The section I! is of resilient construction, and is provided at its upper end with a pad or buffer 25 of rubber, fiber, or the like which is in yielding contact with the specimen at a point opposite from its point of contact with the pointed end H of the bell-crank lever 8. When the grips 2|, 2| are pressed together, the knife edges of the sections l6 and I1 sufliciently to allow the control element to slide easily onto the specimen 2, and when the grips are released the element is held firmly in place on the specimen which is gripped between the knife edges 23, 23 at the lower end of the element, and between the pad 25 and the point II at its upper end. The control element may be readily and almost instantaneously removed at any time by simply pressing the grips 2 I, 2| together again.

Referring again to Fig. 4, a setscrew or stop 21 is provided in the end wall of section l6 of the control element, and a small spring |4a or the like is preferably provided on the pivot |4 adapted to hold the lever 8 against the stop 21 when the lever is in its initial position. The stop.

is so adjusted that when the element 8 is attached to a specimen the point or 'edge II will be in proper alignment with the knife edge 23, and the distance between the point II and the edge 23-'when the lever I8 is against. the stop 21 is the predetermined gage length, such as 2 inches. It will now be clearly understood that as the specimen 2 is extended by the force or load applied during the test, the point distance equal to the total deformation of the 2 inch (or other) gage length; that the lever l8 will rotate about the pivot l4; that if the multiplication factor of the lever is 5, the movement of the button l2 will be ten times the unit deformation.

An internally threaded bushing .28 is also mounted in the end wall of section l6 of the control element, and is preferably electrically insulated therefrom by a tube and washer or other suitable arrangement of insulating material 23. Screwed into the bushing .28 is a are separated II will move upward av finely threaded lead screw 38, provided at its inner end with a spherical or conical shaped contact tip 3| adapted to contact the button |2 on lever l8 to close an electric circuit. At its outer end the lead screw terminates in aball 32 provided with small studs 33, or in other suitable means for forming a sliding coupled joint.

An insulated wire .35 is attached to the bushing 28 or directly to the lead screw 38, and another wire 38 is connected directly or indirectly to the lever l8. These two wires form a part of the electric circuit which controls the recording mechanism as willbe described more fully hereinbelow, and they constitute the only connection between the control element 8 or the strain.- following element 8 and the recording mechanism proper. In a preferred arrangement of this circuit, the wires 35 and 33 are not attached directly to the control element 8, but are connected to other parts of the system which are in electric conducting relationship with the lead screw 38 and the lever I8, respectively, as will be described hereinbelow.

As shown in Fig. 3, a selsyn motor or receiver 38 is adjustably mounted near the test specimen '2- and the control element 8, as by means of suita suitable universal joint 43, which preferably is composed of or contains insulating material, to a light-weight coupling member 44, which may suitably be a tube provided at its outer end with slots adapted to engage the studs 33 on the outer terminal 32' of the lead screw 38. when the support 48 is at the proper elevation, the motor 38 is readily swung around so that the coupling member 44 is in alignment with the lead screw 38 and joins easily therewith. The clamp 39 is then tightened to prevent movement of the motor, and any relative movement of the motor and the "control element that may then occur during the test is taken up by the universal joint 43, which also facilitates the joining of the coupling members. Before starting the test the lead screw 38 is turned back in the bushing until it is well out of contact with, the button l2 on the lever l8, and when it is screwed back through the bushing to follow the move,- ment of the lever as the test proceeds, the linear motion of the screw merely causes the studs 33 to slide in' the slots 45 in the end of the coupling member 44. 8

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the selsyn motor 38 and the selsyn generator or transmitter 41 are electrically connected to an excitation circuit 48 controlled by a switch 43. The excitation circuit is preferably connected to a source of 110 volt, 60 cycle, single phase alternating current. The selsyns are connected to each other by synchronizihg lead wires 58. An auxiliary'motor 52, an electromagnet 54, and a relay 56, are connected to an auxiliary circuit 53 which may beenergized by a battery 68 and controlled by a switch 6|. If an alternating current motor and alternating current windings for the magnet and relay are used, the battery 68 may be omitted and the auxiliaryecircuit 59 canthen be connected to the excitation circuit 48 or some other suitable supply of alternating current.

The primary or energizing circuit of the relay 56 comprises a wire or conductor 35 which connects the lead screw 38 with one side of the cir-' cuit 59, and a wire 33 which connects the bellclosed.

1 tained when constant speed.

crank lever ill with the other side of the circuit 59,

and includes a high resistance coil 85- for the obviously be connected wall of the'control element 8, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 1, these connections may be omitted be substituted wire 36 may be conand indirect connections may therefor. For example, the nected by means of a wire 36a with one of the shackles 4 or some other part of the testing machine which is in electric conducting relationship with the specimen 2.and thence with the lever I8, and the wire 35 may be connected by means of a wire 35a. and a brush 66 or other suitable co'n-. tacting means with the coupling member 44, which in turn is in contact with the lead screw 38, as shown in Figs. land 3. The lever Ill and screw 30 are insulated from each other by the insulation 29 around the bushing 28 or by suitable insulation of the pivotl4, and the coupling member 44 is insulated from the motor 38 and the rest of the system by an insulating universal joint 43, for example, or by insulation inserted elsewhere. With this modification there is no permanent connection between the control element '8 and the rest of the system, and no wires need be attached to the control element.

' The primary relay circuit is closed when the lead screw 38 contacts lever i0, and if the switch BI is closed at the time, the relay coil 65 is then energized. This coil is highly sensitive and very,

little current is required to energize it sufficiently to close the relay switch 61 in the secondary or working circuit. this primary circuit is desirable, as it minimizes pitting and corrosion of the contact members on the screw 30 and the lever I0.

lf'he .secondary relay circuit comprises wires 69- and 10 connected, respectively, to opposite sides of the circuit 59, an electromagnet 54, and the relay switch 61. The magnet 54 is therefore energized by the battery 6i! when the switch 81 is The auxiliary motor 52 is provided with a branch circuit 1-2 connected to the field-and a branch circuit 13 connected to the armature. Each branch circuit is connected to the opposite sides of the circuit 59 and the armature circuit 13 may include a rheostat 14 for controlling the speed of the motor. This rheostat maybe omitted, however, as entirely satisfactory results are obthe motor 52 is operated at full'or The recording instrument assembly, shown in more detail in Fig. 2, has no mechanical connection with the testing machine proper or the control element 8, and may be set up at any desired distance therefrom. As a matter of convenience,

however, this assembly is generally located near the loading element or other device by means of which a load is applied 'to the testing machine and the test specimen mounted therein, When so located, a rod or tube 15 bearing a pencil or stylus 16 and slidably mounted in a suitable bearing in a frame member 18, may readily be so connected with the loading device, in known manner, that the longitudinalmovement ofthe rod 15 is directly proportional to the load applied to the test specimen.

- Near therod 15 and journalled at one end in the frame member 18 or a member adjacent therea recording drum 80 against a flange to rotate when the brake 'A small amount of current. in.

.magnet 54 is energized, disc is pulled over against the tension of the tween gripped firmlyv thereby. The control element 8 attached. A paper chart or recording sheet may be suitably attached around the periphery. of the drum, which is so located that the stylus 16 may be lowered into contact with the drum' or the chart thereon. When the rod 15 and the stylus 18 are then moved longitudinally in proportion to the load applied during a test, and the drum 80 is rotated through an are proportional to the resulting deformation of the specimen, a curve 82 is drawn, which constitutes aload-deformation or stress-strain record is keyed or otherwise of the test.

A brake'83,such as a rod or plate bearing at one end of the drum, may be applied and set by a thumb nut 84 or other suitable iiieans to prevent rotation of the shaft 19 and d ,um 89. A gear 85 is mounted on the shaft 19 at one end of the drum 89 by means of a springloaded hub 86 or other suitable device whereby rotation of the gear causes the shaft and drum 83 is released, but the gear is allowed to rotate on the shaft without turning the drum when the brake is applied.

Mounted near the recording drum 80 is the selsyn generator or transmitter 41 provided with an elongated shaft 88. Keyed to this shaft are one or more small gears 89 adapted to engage the gear 85, and a. gear 90 in operative engagement with a worm gear. 9|, these gears broadly comprising power transmitting means for relatively moving the recorder elements in either of opposite directions. The auxiliary or driving motor 52 is also located near at hand, preferably with its worm gear 9| is firmly attached to the other end of the shaft 91 and rotates therewith.

The shaft is supported in a suitable bearin in or attached to a frame member 98 which also supports the magnet 54 and is attached to one end of a spring 99. The other end of the spring 99 is attached to a collar 'or the like on the shaft 91, andthe spring normally holds-the reversing disc 96' against the driving disc 94. When the however, the reversin spring 99 into contact with the driving disc 95, and the direction of rotationofthe shaft 91 and the worm gear 9| is thereby reversed. This, of course, reverses the rotation of shaft 88, and the gear 85 and the selsyn generator 41 driven therefrom.

The procedure of making a record and test with our improved system willnow be readily understood. A test specimen 2 is inserted be-' the shackles 4 of a testingmachine and is then attached to the specimen with the point ll of the lever 18 substantially perpendicular to the surface. of the specimen and the lead screw 30 withdrawn into the-bushing 28. The

selsyn motor 38 is swung into position and coupled with the lead screw by means of the. coupling member 44. The switch 49 in the excitation circuit 48 is closed, thereby synchronizing the selsyn motor "38 with theselsyn generator 41. The brake 83 is applied to the recording ace 1,535 I I 5 drum 88, on which a blank chart has been placed.

The switch 6| in circuit 59 is then closed, starting the auxiliary motor 52 which now con- 5 'stitutes a continuously operating power means. The spring 99 holds the reversing disc 96 against the driving disc 94, and the worm gear 9|, the shaft 88, the gear 85, and the selsyn generator 41 are driven in a positive direction, while the 10 drum 80 remains stationary. The selsyn motor 38 revolves exactly the same amount as the selsyn generator 41, with which it is synchronized, and in so doing turns the lead screw 30 into and through the bushing 28. 5 This positive rotation continues until the contact tip 3| on the lead screw 38 touches the contact button l2 on the lever l8, these contacts being closed or opened in responseto increases or decreases in strain of the specimen. When 20 this happens the primary circuit throughthe sensitive relay 56 is closed and the relay coil 65 is energized, closing the switch 61 in the secondary circuit. The magnet 54 is then energized and pulls the reversing disc into contact with the 25 driving disc 95, reversing the rotation of the worm gear 9| and the other apparatus driven and controlled thereby. This reverse rotation causes the lead screw 39 to back away from the 3 lever l0, thereby opening the primary relay cirthe switch 61 to open, deenergizing the secondary circuit and the magnet 54. The spring 99 then returns the disc 96 to its normal position in con- I tact with the disc 94, and positive rotation is re- 35 sumed. Thus the spring 99 and magnet 54 broadly comprise means controlled by the primary and secondary circuit for broadly operating the disc 96.

As soon as the contact 3| on the lead screw 40 first comes into contact with the button l2, the

preliminary steps are completed and the test proper can be started. These preliminary steps actually require but a few seconds for completion-usually not more than a minute. The 45 stylus I6 is then lowered into contact with the recording drum or chart, if this has not been done previously, and the brake 83 is released, permitting the-drum 80 to revolve with the gear 85. The load is then applied gradually to the speci- 50 men in known manner, and the test and record are under way. The stylus 16 moves longitudinally across the chart a distance proportional to the load applied, and as the specimen is deformed deformation is followed by the point 55 on the lever "I, which rotates about its pivot '|4, swinging the button I! away from the lead screw 30. The positive rotation of the lead screw will then continue until contact with the lever is again established at a point whichis contin- 60 ually moving away from the screw, and the positive rotation thus continues through an are greater than the are through which reverse rotation is carried in breakingthe contact. Asv a result the recording drum is rotated by small 65 increments with respect to the stylus, and the curve 82 is drawn upon the chart. The reversals are so rapid that the curve is usually substantially smooth, although with some magnification ratios and rates of loading the curve may be slightly serrated.

The test and record may be continued to any desired point-that is, until the load applied ex-. ceeds the ultimate strength of the specimen and causes its rupture, or until a lesser load has been 75 appli d. It may, for example, be desirable to cuit and deenergizing the coil 6.5. This permits obtain a stress-strain record up to a point where the yield point of the specimen has been materially exceeded, and also to record the ultimatestrength of the specimen. This is done byv starting a test and record in the usual way and continuing it until the yield point has been suf-- ficiently passed, then opening the switches 6| and 49, uncoupling the selsyn motor 38 from the lead screw 30, and detaching the clip or control 8 from the specimen. This is readily and quickly 10 done without interrupting the test, and while the strain record is of course discontinued when the motors are shut off and the drum ceases to revalve, the increase in stress until the specimen is ruptured is recorded as a longitudinal line on the chart. Such records are very instructive.

Our improved system is also well adapted to the making and recording of tests in which the specimen is repeatedly loaded and unloaded to any desired extent, and while the system was designed primarily for tensile tests it performs in a similar and'entirely satisfactory manner in compressive tests.

Almost any desired magnification of the unit deformation can be obtained by proper selection of gage length of the specimen, multiplication factor of the'strain-following lever l0, pitch of the threads on t e lead screw 39, diameter of the recording drum, (1 ratio of the gear 85 mounted on the shaft of the recording drum to the gear or gears 89 by which it is driven. A worm and gear may also be inserted between the selsyn motor 38 and the lead screw, and with this arrangement we have employed magnification ratios as high as 16,000:1 with satisfactory results. At these very high magnifications the testing speed (or rate of loading) should be low to obtain the best results, but with. more normal magnifications, between 400:1 and 1000:1, for

example, satisfactory results are obtained with 40 testing speeds up to 0.3 inch per inch per minute, which includes the ranges of good commercial practice.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made in the several parts of our apparatus, in addition to those described by way 'of example hereinabove, without departing from the spirit of our invention, and it is our intention that the claims shall cover such modifications as are included within the scope thereof. Certainparts and features of the improvements described hereinabove are the sole invention of R. L. Templin and are claimed in his application Serial No. 627,454,?

filed August 4, 1932.

We claim as our invention:

1. Apparatus for recording deformations of. a test specimen comprising, in combination, a recording element; a continuously operable electric" motor; controllable means operatively connecting said motor with said recording element and 'efiective for reversely moving the same; a control device of lightweight attached to and definingthe gauge length of the specimen; 'said' device containing a strain following member in contact with the specimen and movable in proportion to the deformation thereof; and means cooperating with said strain following member, including an electric circuit -of which said strain following member constitutes a part, for controlling said operative connection between said motor and recorder element thereby to move the latter in opposite directions in accordance with increases and decreases in deformation of the specimen. 2. Apparatus for recording the deformation of 76 test specimens comprising, in combination, a re-' cording element, a continuously operable electric motor, controllable means operatively connecting said motor to said recording element for reversely moving the latter, a lightweight control device detachably connected to the test specimen and having as a self-contained part thereof a pivotally mounted strain following member cooperating with said control device to define the gauge length of the specimen and movable proportionately to ally mounted member in contact with the specimen and movable proportionately to the deformation thereof and a threaded member rotatable into contact with the movable member, an electric circuit including said pivotally mounted member and threaded member whereby contact or disengagement of said pivotal member with said threaded member opens or closes the circuit, means controlled by said circuit for rotating said shaft in one direction when said circuit is opened and for reversing the rotation of said shaft when the circuit is completed, and means for synchronizing the rotation of said threaded member with the rotation of said shaft, whereby the rotation of the recorder element is made proportional tq the deformation of the specimen.

4. Apparatus for recording the deformation of .test specimens, comprising a recorder element,

' a pair of electrically-connected self-synchronizing motors, an auxiliary motor adapted to simul- 45. taneously rotatethe recorder element and one of the self-synchronizing motors,-a strain-following element having a contact movable proportionately to the deformation of the specimen, a threaded member detachably connected to the second of the self-synchronizing motors and rotatable therewith, a movable contact adapted for cooperation with said other contact, and an electric circuit including said contacts for controlling the operation .of -the recorder element, said threaded member being adapted upon rotation to move said cooperating contact into engagement with said other contact ofthe strain-following element to close said electric circuit and thereby control the operation of said recorder element.

5. Apparatus for recording the deformation of test specimens, comprising a shaftwith a. re

, corder element anda gear'mounted thereon, a pair of electrically-connected self-synchronizing motors, a second shaft operatively connected to one 7 of the self-synchronizing motors and bearing a gear adapted to'en ge the first mentioned gear, an auxiliary motor a apted to rotate said second shaft and the recorder element and self-synchronizing motor connected thereto, an electric circuit x for controlling the operation of the recording eleformation of the specimen, with said strain-following element and movable 25 direction of rotation of the recorder element is ment, a control element attachable to the test specimen and containing a strain-following member in contact with and movable proportionately to the deformation of the specimen and containing a threaded member rotatable into contact 5 with said strain-following member to close said electric circuit which controls the rotation of said second shaft by said auxiliary motor, and a coupling member adapted to detachably connect said threaded member with the second self-synchrol0 nizing motor, whereby rotation of -said-threaded member is synchronized with the rotation of said second shaft, and the rotation of the recorder element driven by said shaft is made proportionate to the deformation of the test specimen. l5 6. In apparatus for recording the deformation of test specimens, a'recorder e1ement, continuously operable electric actuating means adapted to rotate said recorder element in opposite directions, a pivotally mounted strain-following ele- 20 mentcapable of attachment to a specimen substantially without effecting the accuracy of a test thereof and movable proportionately to the demeans cooperating proportionately to the movement thereof, an electric circuit including said strain following element and cooperating means for opening and closing the circuit, means for moving said cooperating means in synchronism with the movement of said recorder element, and means con-' trolled by said circuit whereby rotation of the recorder element is in one direction when the circuitis'open and is reversed when the circuit isclosed.

7. In apparatus for recording the deformation of test specimens, a recorder element, a motor i with apair of driving discs mounted on its shaft, said motor being operated continuously in one direction during a-test, a driven disc located be- I! tween the driving discs and substantially perpendicular thereto, a shaft operatively connected. to cause rotation of the recorder element and having saiddriven disc mounted thereon, re-

silient means wherebythe driven disc is normally 5" maintained in contact with one of the driving discs, an element, means whereby said latter element is movable proportionately to thedeformation of the test specimen, a circuit controlled by said latter element, and an electromagnet ener- 50 gized by said circuit and adapted when so energized to move the driven disc into contact with the second of the said driving-discs, whereby the reversed. 55 8. Recording apparatus for a test specimen stressed in amaterials testing'machine 'comprising, in combination, relatively movable chart and P marker elements, continuously operating power means, power transmitting means for relatively 60 moving said elements in either of opposite direc-; tions, means for connecting said transmitting' means to said power means to effect said opposite movements, an electrical circriit-including contacts which are closed or opened in response 65 to increases or decreases in strain of a specimen,

and means controlled by said circuit for operating said connecting means.

- RICHARD L. TEMPLIN.

" DO NALD I. BOHN. "[0 

